This Is No Time For Traditional Job Search Methods

The entire market is suffering, and new graduates are no exception. This is not the time to rely on campus recruiting and other traditional job search methods. It’s simple math that you will have to do something different — there are fewer spots, but more graduates.

In competitive job markets, a key differentiator is research. Know the top companies, emerging trends, innovative ideas, and business problems of your target industries. Know the competitors of your target companies. Know a day in the life of your target job, so you can walk and talk like you have the skills and background required. Now more than ever you need to go to market with an advantage — research leads to a knowledge advantage.

Furthermore, good research requires time and effort. Most people will not do this. With everyone chasing after the same spots, you can differentiate yourself with good research.

This is why research is one of our six key steps in the job search process. It is not something you do the night before an interview. It is not something that just entails perusing the website. Good research is thorough and thoughtful. In boom times you might not have to do as much research and the jobs still might find you. But this is no time to do what you did before. This is a different market and no time for traditional job search methods